Benefits of the ground as a heat source • Consistent temperatures below ground throughout the year provides a high Co-efficient of Performance. • Can be used for heating, domestic hot water and swimming pools. • Borehole systems can be used for either passive or active cooling (see page 33). At just 1m below the surface, the earth provides a stable source of heat throughout the year. At depths of 15m or more, the earth provides a constant 10°C temperature. Drawing as much as 75% of the energy needed by the heating system from freely available, inexhaustible solar energy stored in the ground, Dimplex ground source heat pumps are available in an extensive range of models types and capacities suitable for either domestic or commercial applications. Due to highly stable temperatures below the earth’s surface, ground source heat pumps provide high levels of efficiency for space and water heating all year round. Ground source heat pumps 24 0 5 5m February May November August Depth 10m 15 m 20m 10 Surface temperature 15 20°C
Benefits of the ground as a heat source• Consistent temperatures below ground
throughout the year provides a high Co-efficient of Performance.
• Can be used for heating, domestic hot water and swimming pools.
• Borehole systems can be used for either passive or active cooling (see page 33).
At just 1m below the surface, the earth provides a stable source of heat throughout the year.
At depths of 15m or more, the earth provides a constant 10°C temperature.
Drawing as much as 75% of the energy needed by the heating system from freely available, inexhaustible solar energy stored in the ground, Dimplex ground source heat pumps are available in an extensive range of models types and capacities suitable for either domestic or commercial applications.Due to highly stable temperatures below the earth’s surface, ground source heat pumps provide high levels of efficiency for space and water heating all year round.
InstallationThe earth stores an enormous amount of solar energy from both solar radiation and rainfall. To extract this energy, ground collectors consisting of flexible poly ethylene pipes are buried in the earth, either horizontally or vertically. A mixture of water and anti-freeze is then circulated through the pipe loops, attracting the heat energy and transferring it to the heat pump.
Horizontal ground collectorsIf a large enough land area is available, horizontal ground collectors provide an effective method of extracting heat from the ground.
The pipework is buried at a depth of approximately 1.2m and spaced 0.75m apart. The land area required is
Top Marks for Dimplex in London schoolEaling council has installed Dimplex ground source heat pumps at three schools and is already planning a fourth!
A Dimplex SIH 40 TE high temperature ground source heat pump was initially installed at Grange Primary School, a larger than average school with 500 pupils, with 15 boreholes required in a restricted area which subsequently became part of the playground.
Following the success at Grange Primary, a Dimplex SI 37 TE heat pump has been installed at Mandeville School, Northolt, a co-educational day school for pupils aged 2-12 and a SI 24 TE has been installed at Ellen Wilkinson School for Girls in Acton, with 1400 students aged 11-18.
dependent on both the capacity of the heat pump and heat conductance of the soil type in which the pipes are buried.
As a space saving alternative to horizontal collectors, slinkies, consisting of coiled pipes buried in a trench can be used.
Case studies
Vertical boreholesIf land space is limited the ground collectors can be installed vertically in a borehole, drilled up to 100m deep in the ground.
Multiple boreholes are commonly used in large installations where very high levels of heat extraction are required.
Housing Association bungalows convert to DimplexStafford & Rural housing association has fitted Dimplex ground source heat pumps into a refurbishment project of nine warden-linked bungalows at Synnerton, Staffordshire, with five of the properties taking part in a year long survey by the EST to monitor heat pumps in real-life installations.
One of the key considerations when replacing the system was fuel poverty as economic heating was very important to its tenants. The housing association was also looking for something that was future-proof, cost effective with no costly bills or annual inspections. Three suppliers were considered by an assessment panel which included 3 tenants with Dimplex selected because of the overall package they could supply.
Heat pumps in actionDimplex heat pumps have been installed in a wide variety of applications – two are featured here, but more are available on our website.
SIH ME/SI ME ground source heat pumpSIK ME integrated ground source heat pumpWWSP229EUK 200L domestic hot water cylinderPSP100E 100L buffer cylinderWWSP442EUK 400L domestic hot water cylinder
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Flexible system optionsThe Dimplex ground source range, including buffer tanks and hot water cylinders are designed to fully co-ordinate and provide a range of flexible system options:
Dimplex domestic ground source heat pumps are available in a range of sizes and configurations to provide a sustainable, cost effective heating and hot water solution for most domestic applications.
Ideal for use with either underfloor heating, SmartRad or conventional radiator systems Dimplex domestic ground source heat pumps are also able to provide domestic hot water.
The range includes high temperature models which can produce water flow temperatures up to 70°C, providing the ability to fulfil all of the hot water demands of the property without the need for supplementary electric heating.
Installed inside the property, the range is available in outputs from 4 –16kW in either standalone or integrated formats providing maximum flexibility to meet the installation requirements of virtually any domestic scenario.
Model SIH 4 ME SIH 6 ME SIH 9 ME SIH 11 ME SI 14 ME
Connection Voltage (V) 230 230 230 230 230
Maximum flow temperature (°C) 70 70 70 70 58
Heat output B0/W35 (kW) 4.0 6.0 8.9 10.7 14.8
CoP B0/W35 4.1 4.1 4.0 4.5 3.9
MCS certificated √ √ √ √ √
Please see page 51 for full technical specifications.
Integrated ground source heat pump – SIK ME
High temperature ground source heat pumps – SIH ME
The SIH ME range provides flow temperatures up to 70°C enabling 100% of a home’s heating and hot water to be provided without the need for supplementary heating.
Domestic ground source heat pump – SI 14 MEIdentical in design to the SIH ME range, the popular SI 14 ME provides flow temperatures up to 58°C making it an ideal domestic heating solution.
Where space saving is an issue the SIH ME and SI ME can be combined with a 200L domestic hot water cylinder, which fits neatly below the heat pump unit.
The SIK 16 ME fully integrated ground source heat pump provides easy installation and minimises space requirements, with the heat pump manager and key system components all fully integrated into one compact unit.
A complementary 100L buffer tank and 400L domestic hot water cylinder are also available to complete the system.
SIH ME/SI ME
SIK 16 ME
Model SIK 16 ME
Connection Voltage (V) 230
Maximum flow temperature (°C) 58
Heat output B0/W35 (kW) 15.8
CoP B0/W35 4.2
MCS certificated √
Please see page 52 for full technical specifications.
Range features
Range features
• 4 high temperature models with nominal heating capabilities from 4 – 11kW
• 1 standard temperature model with nominal heating capabilities of 14 kW
• Variable heating water flow temperatures from 35°C to 70°C with weather compensation (high temperature models)
• WPM 2007 heat pump manager with removable control panel
• Electronic soft start control reduces starting current loads
• Suitable for use with underfloor heating, Dimplex SmartRad fan convectors or conventional radiator systems and to produce domestic hot water
• Can be used as the sole heating source or in “bivalent” mode in combination with an existing heating system
• Provides domestic hot water to 60°C with no need for supplementary heating (high temperature models)
• Available with nominal heating capacities of 16kW
• Integrated system components, including circulating pumps, expansion vessels and safety assemblies for both the heating and ground collector circuits
• WPM2007 heat pump manager with removable control panel
• Variable heating water flow temperatures from 35ºC to 55ºC with weather compensation
• Suitable for use with underfloor heating, Dimplex SmartRad fan convectors or conventional radiator systems and to produce domestic hot water
